Peru, Mexico Finds Hint At Woman's Role

Newsday ^ | 3-3-2006 | Carl Hartman

[blam]

Peru, Mexico Finds Hint At Women's Roles

By CARL HARTMAN
Associated Press Writer

March 3, 2006, 2:33 PM EST

(In a March 2 story about an archaeological exhibit on pre-Columbian women, The Associated Press erroneously reported where it's on view. The exhibit is at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, not the Smithsonian Institution's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. A corrected version of the story appears below.)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Archaeological finds from Mexico and Peru show that, long before Europeans arrived, women served as warriors, governors and priestesses.

An exhibit at the National Museum of Women in the Arts includes little pottery jugs and massive stone images portraying women in a variety of roles in addition to traditional homemakers and care givers.

"Women were not only daughters, wives, mothers and grandmothers, but also healers, midwives, scribes, artists, poets, priestesses, warriors, governors and even goddesses in pre-Columbian society," said Judy L. Larson, director of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, in announcing the exhibit.

There's Xochiquetzal, a Mexican goddess of love and beauty, modeled in clay with an elaborate headdress and flowers in both hands.

She may not look seductive by western standards, but she's more endearing than a stone image, half life-size, of another Mexican goddess -- Cihuateteo -- with staring eyes and ferocious teeth. Cihuateteo lurked at crossroads by night and caused illness.

[blam]

GGG Ping.

[Search4Truth]

Feminist propaganda posing as archeology.

[blam]

Xochiquetzal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Aztec mythology, Xochiquetzal ("flower feather") was a goddess of flowers, fertility, games, dancing and agriculture, as well as craftsmen, prostitutes and pregnant women. She was originally a moon goddess as well.

She was followed by a retinue consisting of birds and butterflies. Worshippers wore animal and flower masks at a festival, held in her honor every eight years.

Her twin was Xochipilli and her husband was Tlaloc, until Tezcatlipoca kidnapped her and she was forced to marry him. At one point, she was also married to Centeotl. By Mixcoatl, she was the mother of Quetzalcoatl.

(Looks like 'ol Xochiquetzal got around)

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Blam.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

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[To Hell With Poverty]

"In Aztec mythology, Xochiquetzal ("flower feather") was a goddess of flowers, fertility, games, dancing and agriculture, as well as craftsmen, prostitutes and pregnant women. She was originally a moon goddess as well."

Ha! Sounds pretty traditionally feminine to me! ; )

[Thombo2]

Revisionist history?Female warriors and leaders?I may be wrong,but i've always had the impression that that civilization was rather "sexist".

[Question_Assumptions]

They are forever looking for evidence that Western Civilization is the source of all the world's sexism. It goes back to their mythological idea that warlike patriarchal cultures replaced peaceful matriarchal cultures that were either ruled by women or where they lived in peaceful harmony. If they want to experience real sexism that would make their heads spin, I suggest a trip to Asia.

[Emmalein]

Thanks for the post.

[Thombo2]

"They are forever looking for evidence that Western Civilization is the source of all the world's sexism."Agree.I'd like to expand on that statement by adding that they'd like to blame ALL the world's problems(famine,social injustice,wars,natural disasters,etc,etc)on Western Civilization aka dead white men.

[CobaltBlue]

Most of the feminists I know like men in general, it's obnoxious jerks they can't abide.

[Thombo2]

Whatever.